Welcome to the Monterey Bay Area, California

The charming California coastal towns surrounding the Monterey Bay — Carmel, Pacific Grove, Monterey and to the south, Big Sur — comprise a sublime stretch of beach littered with bed and breakfast nooks and high-end hotels. And yet, despite the steady stream of tourists and honeymooners, Monterey County retains its quiet elegance.

The Monterey Peninsula is perhaps most sublime meeting of land and sea on either coast. Framed by dramatic mountains and wide swaths of fog enshrouded surf. In addition to its natural glory, the Monterey peninsula and bay is rich both culturally and biologically.

The famed Monterey Bay Aquarium is itself a destination for many visitors. The aquarium's mission in Monterey is to increase conservation through increased awareness and appreciation. Built into the Monterey Bay, the aquarium employs fresh seawater in its exhibits, painstakingly recreating the chaotic conditions found throughout the bay from the rocky shore to deep tidal pools in the abysmal, submerged Monterey Canyon.

Monterey is also home to the once-dusky cannery immortalized by John Steinbeck in "Cannery Row" nearly 75 years ago. Cannery Row is now a testament to the creative powers of capitalism which have transformed this legendary remainder of class oppression into a mini-mall and museum.

Nearby Pebble Beach employs the dramatic seascape for quite different ends. The world-famous golf course jets into the Pacific with dew-fed greens and rocky outcroppings.

Big Sur, on the other hand, is relatively unspoiled. Its rocky beaches and stunning vistas have drawn naturalists and new age gurus, oceanographers and itinerant campers.